2556 Prelude to Terror, by Helen MacInnes (read 28 Nov 1993) This 1978 book takes place in and around Vienna and it is very exciting. Mostly the good guys always win. The arch-villain is KGB-trained and is funneling money to a Geneva bank for terrorists. I found the book extremely fascinating, even though it is obviously formula. ( )

Back to Vienna, Maclnnes' favorite scenery, in a leisurely, literate, and comfortably artificial art-world adventure that's perfect for readers who find the bulk of current suspense too tricky, too gory, or too dirty. Look for taut action, complex characters, and surprise twists elsewhere; but look to MacInnes, now as ever, for an observant eye ("Vuitton combined with cardboard boxes tied with string: ostentatious I-couldn't-care-less"), the feel of foreign streets under foot, and the reassuring triumph of decency at the close.